President’s Maha Shiva Rathri message:
Hope of better days and greater blessings
The Hindus in Sri Lanka join their co-religionists the world over, to
celebrate Maha Shiva Rathri today, one of the most important festivals
in the Hindu religious calendar, President Mahinda Rajapaksa said in a
Maha Shiva Rathri message.
A festival observed in honour of Lord Shiva, this marks the day that
Hindu belief holds he married Parvati, and also the night he performed
the dance of primordial creation and preservation, he said.
He said: “There are many rituals associated with this festival
including fasting, night long vigils at temples, making of offerings to
Shiva, the lighting of lamps and singing hymns in praise of Lord Shiva.
All this devotion is concerned with dispelling of ignorance and the
search for knowledge, overcoming the evil tendencies of lust, anger,
greed, infatuation, jealousy and hatred, and the search for peace and
harmony both in the lives of believers and in society.
Hinduism is one of the great religions of the world, which teaches
man the virtues of piety, unity and harmony.
In our country Hindus, in keeping with the tenets of their religion,
have for ages been living in amity and harmony with followers of other
religions and beliefs, and look forward to do so in the future too.
Maha Shiva Rathri this year, is very special to all Hindus Sri Lanka,
as they are on the threshold of seeing all of their brethren freed from
the clutches of terror, that has been a threat to their to their lives
for so many years. On this day sacred to them, I wish all Sri Lankan
Hindus a Maha Shiva Rathri where their happiness is enriched by hope of
better days and greater blessings.
May their prayers and expectations for a better tomorrow be
fulfilled, and may every lamp they light on this day to dispel
ignorance, enrich them spiritually and strengthen their belief and
knowledge in the need for better understanding and stronger unity among
all our peoples.” |